By Adeleye Kunle
On Friday night, a clash between some Fulani traders and Bororo cow sellers, as well as some members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), claimed the lives of four people in Kwara State.
The fight is said to have started between some Fulani traders and Bororo cow sellers at the popular weekly Kaara Market in Ajase-Ipo, Irepodun local government area of the state.
Machetes and other dangerous objects were reportedly used during the clash.
The combatants also attacked commercial vehicles on the highway, according to reports.
“I learned that the Fulani traders and the Bororo who brought cows to the market for sale had little misunderstanding in the market, but it spread to the major road,” a source said.
“I was also told that a Fulani herder was driving his cattle across the road, which caused the traffic jam.”
“When the OPC members arrived in Ajase-Ipo from the Osun festival in Osogbo, they encountered a traffic jam.” Some of them disembarked and dashed towards the market area along the main road. During that time, we began to hear the sound of a gun.”
The incident was confirmed by Kwara Police spokesperson Ajayi Okasanmi.
“Four lifeless bodies of unidentified people were recovered at the scene,” he said.
Gumi also founded a nomadic rights organization to protect nomadic people. “Information received by Ajase-Ipo Divisional Police headquarters was to the effect that some OPC members in a convoy of about 20 vehicles believed to be coming from Oshogbo, Osun state, were passing through the Kara market where a cow being led across the road by its handlers broke the side mirror of one of the OPC vehicles,” Fulani Okasanmi added.
“This sparked an argument, which escalated into an exchange of gunfire between OPC members and cow dealers in the market.”
“The command’s immediate deployment of detachments of police officers and teams of conventional police officers to the scene prevented further escalation and killings.”
The “four unidentified dead bodies have been evacuated from the scene and deposited at the University of Ilorin (UITH) mortuary, the injured taken to the hospital in Ajase-Ipo for medical attention,” according to a police spokesperson.
He went on to say that the “Ajase Ipo-Offa road is now open for the movement of goods and services.”
The command encourages law-abiding citizens and commuters in the area to go about their lawful business without fear of attack or harassment.”
